More on Aspartame

Back on the Aspartame bandwagon today - a new study was brought to my attention which links Aspartame consumption with both Dermatitis and Migraine. The study by Jacob and Stechschulte explains that "upon ingestion, aspartame is broken, converted, and oxidized into formaldehyde in various tissues". Of the patients studied, avoidance of Aspartame was the clear solution for alleviating their problems with both migraines and dermatitis. Problems reappeared when the patients went back to using products containing Aspartame.

I've blogged previously on the concerns of Aspartame. Its amazing how often it appears in our food supply - if you want to avoid it, you need to check those labels!

I recently blogged about my morning sickness and my decision to change supplements. It was interesting that the Vitamin B supplement I chose comes in a fizzy tablet and a regular tablet. The fizzy tablet carries warnings on the packet about containing Aspartame and Phenylenaline. So even a simple supplement needs to be checked! (Needless to say, I chose the straight tablet without the Aspartame).

Cinnamon

"Practical" should be my middle name. I just love it when I find out about things that are going to make my life easier, healthier and give me more peace of mind.

Earlier this week, Dr Mercola published a wonderful article on the health benefits of the spice Cinnamon. Some of the benefits he lists are:

• Benefits to diabetics


• Support for digestive function


• Relief for congestion


• Relief of pain and stiffness of muscles and joints


• Anti-inflammatory compounds that may relieve arthritis


• Help in preventing urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease


• Relief for menstrual discomfort


• Blood-thinning compounds that stimulate circulation

I had just posted a blog on morning sickness and it sounded like cinnamon might help me as well (a lot of my morning sickness seems to be related to digestion issues). So I googled around a bit to find some recipes. I found a list of 25 tips for using Cinnamon of which these were my favourite:

• First aid tips: sprinkle on a small cut to stop the sting and assist healing; for diarrhea, steep 1 - 3 teaspons in a cup of hot water for 10 - 15 mins, strain and drink


• Around the home: mix cinnamon with baking soda and sprinkle around the house as a carpet freshener before vaccuming; put cinnamon around plants to prevent mould and make your own room freshener by simmering 1 tsp coconut extract, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp orange peel and 1 tsp allspice


• For food: put on finger tips when crimping a pie crust; add to anything chocolatey (cake etc); add a pinch to chicken noodle soup and hamburger buns for instant extra flavour; shake in a bag with cut apple slices to bring out the flavour.

There were lots of recipe sites too, for example the McCormick website which includes sweet and savoury recipes.

After reading Dr Mercola's post I got a sudden craving for Pumpkin Pie, found some nice recipes on the web, went home and made one after work. It was lovely! This post has been a bit more lighthearted but I hope you've enjoyed it.

Assistance with Morning Sickness

I am 24 weeks this week, and still struggling with terrible Morning Sickness. A few weeks ago I decided I would start Maxolon because I was really "over" vomiting up to 4 times a day. The Maxolon has certainly helped, although I still seem to "ride the bowl" every other day. Overall I feel very much less than my usual self: I lack energy and appetite and feel rather nauseated and awful most of the time. It kind of takes the shine off being pregnant.

So I'm trying a few home remedies as well. Here is what I am doing if there is a chance this will help someone else. I've googled a lot to see what other morning sickness sufferers suggest and have tried these suggestions with definite improvements:

• propping up the end of the bed with a couple of solid hardcover books.
  I was most likely to be sick first thing in the morning and dry crackers (the usual suggestion) did not help me (the mere thought of dry crackers sent me running to the bathroom). Raising the end of the bed has really helped me.
• acupressure wrist bands. These are commonly worn for car sickness or other travel related motion sickness. I have found they made a big difference in reducing my general feeling of nausea.
• light and frequent meals. I can't face meat, fish or heavy carbs at the moment and with a reduced appetite there isn't much which appeals. I find if I eat small portions of light food I don't feel too bad. Smoothies, fresh or stewed fruit and yoghurt (never choose diet brands or products containing Aspartame, particularly when pregnant), all seem to go down well for me. Scrambled eggs and custard have also been good. I've recently been taking my usual probiotic and a powdered milk-based protein supplement in my smoothies which have helped my nutritional balance and tastes lovely.
• supplements. I am taking a few pregnancy supplements: a multivitamin, iron and minerals but none of these have helped the morning sickness symptoms. I have been taking a well-known morning sickness formula but have decided to try an alternative which is a combination of a reputable B-group vitamin supplement plus a lesser well known (but reputable) brand which contains Ginger, Cordyceps sinensis, Ganoderma lucidum and Pseudostellaria heterophylla. This new combination seems to be giving me considerably better results. After only a few days I feel much more like my usual self and think I have regained some quality of life.

Its a bit of trial and error - everyone seems to be slightly different and what works for some might not work for others. None of the websites I've linked to are keen to endorse use in pregnancy. This is because specific studies haven't been done. But as I've reported previously, there are few drugs that are tested for pregnancy because drug companies don't want to face litigation risk in conducting the testing. I am going to just trust my instincts on this one.

Personally, I've felt very frustrated by the usual approach to morning sickness, which seems to be: oh dear, poor you, I'm sorry but you don't have many options for feeling better. This isn't easy advice to live with when you work part time and have an active 2 year old and husband to attend to.

I would really encourage anyone suffering as I have to keep looking for answers which will suit your particular needs, so long as you never expose yourself or your baby to unnecessary risks.

If you would like the names of the supplements I have tried, please feel free to contact me and see if they might help you as well. As always, if there is anything we can do to help you at the Health Highway please get in touch.

Food safety and your immune system

Earlier in the week I blogged about the dangers of placing a handbag on any surface that may come in contact with food - the biggest risk being a nasty tummy bug. I suggested that if you did get an upset stomach, the best remedy would be high doses of a good quality probiotic, which we can gladly supply.

Dr Mercola posted an article recently on How to tell when Leftovers go bad where he also recommends a good quality probiotic for tummy bugs. If you do eat something bad, he says you can minimize your risk of getting sick by keeping your immune system strong. His tips for a strong immune system are:

• Avoid sugar
• Get enough sleep
• Eat garlic regularly
• Deal with stress in a healthy way
• Exercise

How well are you looking after yourself? If you would like to know more about probiotics and their health benefits or if we can help you in any other way, please feel free to contact us at the Health Highway.

Handbags

This post is more for the girls, but also appropriate to the guys if you carry or use a manbag. A friend recently forwarded an email on bacteria tests conducted on women's handbags by Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs (Salt Lake). The email said "most of the ladies we talked to told us they wouldn't be surprised if their handbags were at least a little bit dirty. It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked".

It went on to say: "nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick".

"In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella, and that's not the worst of it. "There is fecal contamination on the handbags," says Amy. Leather or vinyl handbags tended to be cleaner than cloth handbags, and lifestyle seemed to play a role."

The advice was to treat your handbag the same as you would a pair of shoes - do not put it on the kitchen bench, your work desk, or any other area where food might be prepared or you might place food down while you are eating.

Be aware of where you place your bag, especially in public. Always use a hook if you can when using public ammenities and clean the bottom of your bag regularly.

If you suffer an upset tummy my advice would be to try a really high quality probiotic to help restore intestinal balance. We promote one of the leading market probiotics at the Health Highway and would be happy to discuss your options.

If we can help you with your health in any way, please get in touch with us at the Health Highway.

The milk debate

I've heard a number of seminar speakers comment that drinking milk can be harmful to your health. This is one of those highly contentious issues I encounter when talking about health matters with other parents. Many parents believe the extensive marketing that has surrounded milk drinking as a healthy option.

Once again Dr Mercola has provided some of the science behind the debate to remove some of the emotional reaction to the question and gives parents some real data to consider. I recommend reading his article Don't Drink Your Milk!

Childhood cancer concerns

A chilling video from one of Australia's current affairs programs can be viewed on Dr Mercola's website warning us of the danger of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF), and electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from mobile phones and other electrical and electronic equipment and appliances.

The video interviews a family whose 7 year old daughter died from a brain tumour. Some alarming stories are mentioned by the Doctor who is interviewed - in particular that he has operated on a one day old baby born with a malignant tumour.

I did not realize brain cancer had surpassed leukaemia as the number one killer of our children. Childhood brain cancer has increased by 21% in the last decade in Australia.

I was disappointed that the article on the Mercola site didn't say more about preventative action. Prevention is my passion. Some of the things I try to be conscious of are: trying to use my mobile phone on speaker whenever I can and hold it away from my body and I never let my child play with it or hold it. I have become very conscious of the fact that my mobile phone sits in my handbag which sits snugly against my right side whenever I am carrying it and wonder if this is harmful as well. Are there other things we could be doing to help our bodies cope? For example, keeping the body alkaline rather than acidic, or the use of antioxidants to combat free radicals?

Food for thought. If useful answers crop up I will add to this post.

Meanwhile, stay happy and healthy. Strive to be informed as much as you can. If we can help you with your wellbeing please don't hesitate to contact us at the Health Highway.

Wonderful news!

It has been a few months since my last post but there have been a good reason. Hopefully I am now fully back in action and ready to give you more life-saving information through the Health Highway! The wonderful news is that I am unexpectedly but delightfully pregnant. Many readers know that we had nearly 4 years of infertility treatment to have our son and it was only after he was born that someone showed me information about the effect of many harmful ingredients in everyday products which have a negative impact on human fertility. This information had a powerful impact on me and I have not bought a mainstream supermarket personal care product since that day.

Two years later, at 40 years old, I have conceived a child naturally. We had thought we would only ever have one child as neither of us wanted to go back for more medical intervention. What a blessing for us!

I will be 18 weeks pregnant this week and all is going well. The only down-side to the whole experience has been morning sickness, which has put me out of action and is the reason for the lack of blogging. But the morning sickness is gradually improving. My wonderful naturopath is continuing to work with me in ensuring I have the best of health otherwise. And it is a small price to pay for such an amazing gift.

Stay tuned - the Health Highway will be chock full of great information on maximising your health and wellbeing of those you love. If we can help you with anything specific please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Why Phthalates are potentially harmful

I frequently blog on plastics and phthalates and the dangers they pose to human's reproductive health. This post will pull together my previous posts on the subject and I will update it as I add to the Health Highway blog on this particular topic.

"Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have demonstrated that most Americans have detectable levels of phthalates in their blood and urine, and preliminary findings have linked high bodily levels of phthalates to sperm damage in men and reproductive defects in newborn boys" - extract from LA Times article How safe are green cleaning products?

My posts on the subject so far:

• More on Plastics


• Are Plastics harming your health?


• Men in Danger (2)


• Men in Danger - SBS Documentary

If you want to contact us about a topic regarding potentially harmful ingredients that we haven't yet covered on the Health Highway blog, then please feel free to get in touch. Our aim is to show you simple and effective ways to dramatically improve your health and lifestyle. We'd love to help you!

How safe is "green"?

When it comes to safe cleaning products, it seems there are a lot of manufacturers jumping on the opportunity provided by the increasing consumer interest and demand for products which are safer for their families health and for the environment. Great marketing campaigns convince consumers that products labelled "green" or "eco-friendly" are safe. But how safe are they?

A great article in the LA Times on How safe are green cleaning products reveals the underlying dangers of believing the marketing hype without extra education on the issues. Consumers must remember that this is an industry which is under-regulated. Labelling laws do not require manufacturers to list all ingredients. The most frightening fact was that a recently study on consumer products which claimed to be "natural" or "non-toxic" revealed tha half of 100 products tested contained the known cancer-causing agent "1,4-dioxane", including a number of dishwashing liquids with the words "eco" and "earth friendly" in their brand names.
The label "natural" still allows manufacturers to include petroleum distillates, some of which (eg benzine) are also cancer causing. Get this!

"labeling in the cleaning products industry is highly unregulated. The use of terms such as "green" and "natural" is monitored ...to ensure that such terms are not misleading to consumers. But neither the commission nor any other agency sets standards that products must meet before they can call themselves green. " 'Green' and 'natural' are marketing terms -- they're not terms of science," Sansoni said. Cleaning product manufacturers -- green or otherwise -- are also not required by law to disclose all of their ingredients on their labels..."

The article also mentioned pthalates (which I have blogged on many times) and numerous other harmful ingredients.

At the Health Highway, we put you in touch with ingredients which are proven to not contain any of these harmful ingredients (no pthalates, no 1,4-dioxane, no benzine, to name just a few of the potentially harmful ingredients you will find in supermarket brands).

We have products with a solid, 20 year history that are endorsed by research scientists and chemists at the top of their game. Don't risk your family's health on a fly-by-night manufacturer who doesn't carry the highest accolades of safety. We've seen dramatic improvements in people's health and lifestyle from ridding their homes of unsafe products and would love to help you get the same results. Contact us if we can help you in any way.

Drug Drought for Pregnant Women

This article from the Uni of Qld caught my eye today, its basic message being that Drug companies are avoiding developing new drugs for pregnant women because of the risk of litigation. So this sector of the population is not necesarily being looked after with new research and development - part of their research showed only 3% of the investment made into cardiovascular health has been made into maternal health over the same period. The study ranged over a 25 year period (from 1981).

10 tips for safer health care

How do you make sure any interaction you have with the medical professional are safe, professional and in your best interests? I've blogged before about the importance of keeping a medical journal and what to do when waiting for the doctor. I came across this list of 10 tips for safer health care today:

1. Be actively involved in your own health care
2. Speak up if you have any questions or concerns
3. Learn more about your condition or treatments by asking your doctor or nurse and by using other reliable sources of information
4. Keep a list of all the medicines your are taking
5. Make sure you understand the medicines you are taking
6. Make sure you get the results of any test or procedure
7. Talk to your doctor or other health care professional about your options if you need to go into hospital
8. Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery or a procedure
9. Make sure you, your doctor and your surgeon all agree on exactly what will be done during the operation
10. Before you leave hospital, ask your doctor or other health care professional to explain the treatment plan you will use at home

To obtain a detailed copy of the "10 tips for Safer Health Care" phone (02) 6289 4244 or go to www.safetyandquality.org

Chemicals in Lipstick linked to Breast Cancer Risk

I missed seeing this article last December and came across it while I was looking for more information on phthalates. This article in the Daily Telegraph talks about harmful chemicals in lipsticks and nail polishes, particularly the chemical which makes these products glossy (butyl benzyl phthalate, or BBP). This chemical can interfere with the healthy development of breast tissue. It is a man-made substance which mimicks the female sex hormone, estrogen. scientists at the Fox Chase Cancer Centre in Philadelphia say that BBP - which accumulates in our fat cells - could increase the risks of breast cancer. The research can be viewed online at Biomed Central.

At the Health Highway we can show you a range of cosmetics that do not use any harmful ingredients, including the one mentioned in this article. Our aim is to help you protect and maintain your health for generations to come. Its a known fact that women absorb up to 2 kg of cosmetics and skin care through their skin every year so make sure the products you use and absorb into your bodies are totally safe!

Life Tips

There are so many blogs and writers on the internet now - I find it amazing what I come across in my daily online ventures. Today I came across Dumb Little Man(Tips for Life). Strange name, but it seems to have some fun and useful topics. Try these for starters:

• 50 ideas for a healthy lifestyle that take 10 minutes or less
• 30 happiness tips
• 7 foolish excuses you need to stop using

Have a great day!

Balancing your gut flora

I spoke recently on a national health teleconference about a new product in our range which is a powerful probiotic. This is newly available in Australia. I heard some wonderful testimonies from Mums on the call getting results with their children (from colic to constipation) and an older gentleman getting relief from his diverticulitis.

How do probiotics help your health? Here are some key points to be aware of:

• 80% of your immune system is located in your digestive system
• 500 species of bacteria live inside you
• Digestive system bacteria are referred to as "good" and "bad" - in balance there should be 85% good and 15% bad
• About one hundred trillion bacteria live inside you — more than TEN TIMES the number of cells you have in your entire body.
• The term probiotics comes from the Greek word “for life” (so consider the implications of "antibiotics” after hearing that!)

The processed foods so inherent in most diets can upset the balance of bacteria, as can other lifestyle factors and drugs such as antibiotics.

If you would like more information on how to improve your digestive health and get great results like our other customers, get in touch today and we'd love to help you. We can help you feel better and enjoy your life more!

How precious is your life?

“Tell me, what is it you
plan to do
With your one wild and
precious life?”

- Mary Oliver: “The Summer Day”

A superb approach to business

Sometimes it feels like I lead a double life - 3 days a week I work at the local University in Grants Management (for Research) and as much as I can the rest of the time I devote myself to championing the cause for preventative health measures. Today I came across a speech written by an engineer which I thought expouses principles appropriate to both areas of my life and liked it so much I thought I'd post it.

The speech comes from Dr Chris Nicol’s 2007 Warren Centre Innovation Lecture where he challenged the audience to think innovatively about what sorts of future engineering “magic” would make the difference. Here are his key points on winning the innovation game:

1. Identify your customers (internal and external) and make sure they are satisfied with your products and services
2. Have the courage to hire people who are better than you
3. Train and task individuals so that they are self motivated to drive their own performance
4. Motivate the team to a central cause
5. You cannot have loyal customers without loyal employees. Go a step further and be grateful for them: Every day, my employees would say good bye to their loved ones and come to the office to spend a significant amount of their day with me. For this, I was grateful
6. Spouses are called “significant other” for a reason. When someone is travelling, or on a conference call at midnight, there is usually a spouse who is feeling under-appreciated. Extend the notion of “team” to include them
7. Positioning. It is better to be different than it is to be better
8. Continually change - and self-inject change – especially when it feels like it is not needed. “When you are green you grow, when you are ripe you rot.” Opportunity lies on the boundary of order and chaos. Too much of either and growth is diminished. Complacency will kill you.
9. At the end of the day, when you have done your best - await the results in peace (incredibly difficult to do). It takes self-discipline - but worrying about stuff benefits no-one and probably makes you ill.

It is lovely to come across these words of a highly principled man. I can only wish him long, happy and healthy days. At the Health Highway we strive to offer excellence to our customers. If we can help you to feel healthy and be happy, get in touch!

Safer alternative for head lice treatment

I've blogged before about non-toxic solutions for keeping your kids healthy and thought I'd say some more on the Head Lice issue.

For years we have been hearing from other parents that since they changed to the brand of shampoo and conditioner recommended by the Health Highway they have never had an incidence of head lice or had to worry about their kids getting head lice. And the product is safer, cheaper and more effective than the supermarket brand they had previously been using. How good is that?

So I was amazed to come across an article today which states "the US economic burden of head lice is up to $240 million per year for pharmacotherapy alone, and up to $1 billion per year for combined direct and indirect costs". They also state "Head lice, within the past 20 years, have developed resistance to nearly all first-line pharmacotherapy in the United States" and go on to suggest which chemical treatment should now be used, with the usual disclaimers about potentially harmful side effects and who should avoid contact with the chemicals.

(Some Australian articles are available from James Cook University)

The Health Highway always advocates prevention over cure. Whenever I find an article like this, I think "I rest my case!". If you are concerned about Head Lice and are looking for safe, natural alternatives which keep your kids safe, contact me for more information.

Designer Medical ID bracelets

As kids in the 70's my brother and I both wore one of those metal "medic alert" bracelets - his for sulfur/ penicillin allergy and mine for asthma. They were very unattractive, but essentially life saving - especially in his case.

Luckily for kids (and adults) needing to declare medical ID issues these days there are trendier options available. Check out "The In Thing" website for a range of stylish Medical ID jewellery designs.

At the Health Highway, we help you feel better so you can enjoy your life more. And look great while you're at it! Fab!

More on plastics

Something on phthalates caught my eye and it led me to another new site I hadn't discovered on plastics. It looks like a great site to explore on many issues around going green and saving the planet, its called mindfully.org. Check it out!

Paul Goettlich has put together a wonderful resource on plastics and why we should be concerned about their impact on our health.

Studies on phthalates have shown that they affect hormonal activity and even in low level doses may have long lasting, multi-generational effects. Yet they are used in toys, shower curtains, vinyl floors, food packaging, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and even medical equipment. For a great introduction and heaps of "precautionary" principles about protecting your health, see his article About Phthaletes.

Wishing you a happy, healthy day. If we can help you with this information please contact us at the Health Highway. All of our products are phthalate free.

Are plastics harming your health?

Plastics seem to be getting a lot of press lately. I've come across a few articles and will blog on this again. I recently noticed one on baby bottles, which is close to my heart with a little one of my own. There are so many types of plastics, are any of them safe? Which are the most harmful? How can you tell?

The Daily Green, a consumer's guide to the green revolution, has an article explaining what the recycling symbols on plastic mean - click on the symbol to find out!

Another aspect of this debate which interests me is how the plastics in containers react with product (like shampoo) that is stored in them and can cause potentially harmful chemical reactions. The Health Highway endorses a full range of household and personal care products that are housed in containers using safe plastics which are fully recyclable. We love to keep you safe, so ask about your options today. We help people feel better so they can enjoy their life more!

Poor Health Literacy reported in Australia

A recent article published by the University of Queensland's Healthy Communities Research Centre caught my eye today:

A survey recently conducted by the Centre indicates that "more than 500,000 Queenslanders, between the ages of 15 and 74, would report their health as less than "good". Of these, more than 350,000 people would not have basic health knowledge and skills to support their own health... This suggests that two out of every three people in this age bracket aren't able to easily carry out health-enhancing measures following a professional health consultation."

The article goes on to say that“our effectiveness to manage health promotion and disease prevention depends on, to a large extent, people having the skills to change their behaviour for better health." The study was conducted to test "health literacy" on the basis that people need a basic range of skills relating to understanding and managing their health to interact effectively with health professionals and to stay well.

Its an interesting report if you want to read more and to me underpins the importance of my educational campaign!

One of the main goals of the Health Highway is to give people accessible, affordable health information to enhance their health naturally. How? By educating about safe product choices, explaining the benefits using world-class nutritional supplements and learning about the long term protection of preventative health measures. We help people feel better so they can enjoy their life more. Can we help you?

Importance of Antioxidants

I spoke on a conference call tonight about a great new probiotic on the market which I will convert to a blog post soon. I took these notes from one of the other speakers who covered the importance of Antioxidants. I hope you find this useful!

Free radicals cause cellular damage to the body and are thought to be the primary factor in the cause of disease and conditions such as cancer, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and so on. How bad are free radicals? Scientists have proven that the biological potential of a human cell is 120 years. To live up to our biological potential we must eliminate toxic invaders which destroy our health.

Our bodies are naturally equipped to produce enzymes which fight free radicals but because of chemical poisoning, depletion, overwork and stress on the land, our produce no longer provides our bodies with the nutrients it needs to create its own free radical scavengers.

It is estimated that the average person has to eliminate two heaped teaspoons of
particulate matter including dust, pollen, tar, acid, smoke, bacteria, rubber,
carbon, metals and many other particles every day

The booklet The Great Grape and Fine Pine Antioxidant Extracts by Tonita d'Raye provides an excellent summary of the issues and provides information about the "Super heroes" of antioxidants, OPCs (grape seed and pine bark). These are truly our best defence against free radical attack. They are 50 x more potent than Vitamin E and 20 x more than Vitamin C.
OPCs can also cross the blood brain barrier, providing direct protection to the brain and central nervous system as well.

The Health Highway can provide you with a super enriched supplement formulated as a powerful free radical scavenger which includes the OPCs together with Tumeric, Ginko Biloba and other nourishing ingredients. It is especially formulated to work while the body is active.

We also have a night time product formulated to work while the body is resting. It contains quite a few extra beneficial ingredients and is a tremendous rejenerative technology.

Therapeutic benefits include improved circulation, beautiful skin, heart protection, alergy relief and improved brain function.

I recently heard about an elderly lady who is a diabetic on blood thinning medication. Her eye-sight was fading and she was unable to watch TV anymore. Taking 1 supplement per day, her eyesight improved. She had also lost feeling in her feet for quite some time, but found when taking this product, she had sensation in her feet again.

Antioxidants are important at any age. The Lancet studied the use of antioxidants in subjects over a 1 year period. Those taking the antioxidants suffered from half as many cold, flu and other infectious diseases compared with control groups given a placebo. Those who did get sick, recovered twice as fast (reported in Dr Kenneth Cooper's Antioxidant revolution).

Heading into the cold and flu season in Australia - would you like to beat the odds this winter? Contact us today, we'd love to help you at the Health Highway. Come on and fast track your success.

Men in Danger (2)

Neils Skakkebaek was the Danish researcher featured in a recent SBS documentary called Men in Danger, which I blogged on earlier in the week. Here is a post on some of his work, focusing on specific studies he has done featured in the documentary that aired Sunday night. Neils' work and that of other researchers is around Testicular Dysgenesis Syndrome (TDS) which covers research in the areas of Testicular cancer, poor semen quality and genital defects.

In conducting my search on his work, I discovered that Neils was interviewed by Australia's Radio National back in 1999 on Testicular Cancer, Male Infertility. At that time, they had a less specific data on the decline in sperm count and quality than was presented in the recent SBS documentary after nearly another decade of study. It is impressive how much data they have accumulated and published on over that timeframe. Back in the '90's, he was joint author on a paper published in Environmental Health Perspectives Supplement 7 (Estrogens in the Environment) called Declining Semen Quality and Increasing Incidence of Testicular Cancer: Is there a common cause?

His more recent work can be found by searching Google Scholar for Neils Skakkerbaek, restricting results to 2005 - 2007. These are some of the papers I found that were discussed in the recent SBS documentary:

• From mother to child: Investigation of prenatal and postnatal exposure to persistent bioaccumulating toxicants using breast milk and placenta biomonitoring
• Role of Environmental Factors in the Timing of Puberty
• Flame Retardants in Placenta and Breast Milk and Cryptorchidism in Newborn Boys
• Urinary excretion of phthalates and paraben after repeated whole-body topical application in humans
• Adverse trends in male reproductive health: we may have reached a crucial ‘tipping point’

The good news is that there are safe products available which can protect you and your family from these risks. If you know anyone planning on becoming pregnant, warn them of these issues! We can help you with information on safe products, just contact us at the Health Highway and we will do everything we can to help.

What amount constitutes concern?

I received an email today from a blog reader in South Africa asking about the quantity of artificial sweeteners in consumable products and what level is considered to be a concern? He'd seen my blog post on Aspartame, but was asking about artificial sweeteners in general.

Andy, I'm going to defer to the experts on this one. Phillip Day, a brilliant reporter and health researcher, includes a chapter called "The sweetest poison: the lethality of sweeteners" in his book Food for Thought: fabulous food that won't kill you. I love Phillip Day's style. Straight down the line, fabulous sense of humour but always that whack between the eyes of startling reality about the dangers of modern western lifestyle. He writes:

When it comes to identifying the most common poison we willingly use against ourselves, an amazing feat resulting in millions of deaths worldwide every year, there really is no contest...but seeing as we are in the mood for some truth, lets take a hard look at the "s" word [sucrose] and also its partners in crime, the "sweeteners" aspartame and saccharin. Are you nervous about shattering some highly refined illusions?

He goes on to warn of the health dangers in consuming sucrose ("refined sugar"), including:

• excess insulin secretion
• mood changes and behavioural upsets
• spiky, chaotic patterns of blood sugar levels potentially leading to type 2 diabetes
• oxidisation and free-radical generation leading to cell death
• accelerated aging
• leaching of minerals, especially copper (potentially leading to aneurism and stroke) and calcium (potentially leading to osteoporosis)
• accumulation of fat
• lethargy
• abnormal blood pressure
• depletion of Vitamin C and B vitamins
• cellulite
• heightened PMS symptoms
• ADD and ADHD
• varicose veins
• rotting teeth (a dentist recently confirmed to a close friend of mine that this is due to calcium depletion as the body tries to re-alkalize itself)
  
• increased risk of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate and rectum, colon and biliary tract
• increased risk of Crohn's Disease, ulcerative colitis and exaccerbation of multiple sclerosis

He also mentions links with Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's.

All refined sugars are parasitic. They have no accompanying vitamins and minerals of their own and no nutritive value.

He provides references to health articles on the potential dangers of Saccharin, around which there is debate about its risk as a carcinogen in humans.

The main concerns he raises around Aspartame relate to its neurological effects: "According to researcher Alex Constantine in his essay entitled Sweet Poison, aspartame may account for up t 75% of the adverse food reactions reported to the US FDA due primarily to its reported ability to affect neurological processes in humans."

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology declares "It is prudent to avoid the use of dietary supplements of L-glutamic acid by pregnant women, infants and children. The existence of evidence for potential endocrine responses... would also suggest a neuroendocrine link" (and goes on to suggest that it should be avoided by women of childbearing age and individuals with affective disorders).

So "how much is safe"? The consumer has the ultimate choice to make on this issue. Scientists and researchers have real concerns about these products and their material is readily available.

You can still choose to consume something scientifically proven to be harmful to humans if you wish to, but it may be prudent to research more widely on these issues if they concern you. Food additives are always a case of "buyer beware". A basic principle of good health and longevity is to halt the influx of toxins into the body, detoxify your body regularly and consume food which will foster a slightly alkaline internal environment for the body to thrive.

At the Health Highway, we recommend maintaining a good alkaline balance in the body and can provide information on a range of supplements which will help you restore that balance. We have a vitamin supplement for children which is especially helpful in metabolising sugars and restoring balance, with proven results for ADD / ADHD sufferers. Another standard product in the range is a wholefood supplement containing green, yellow and red vegetables, fruit and berry extracts, potent herbs, marine greens and cereal grasses. This product helps reduce waste in the gastrointestinal tract, support normal body function, alkalize the body and supply antioxidants.

Contact us at the Health Highway if we can help you on these issues.

Men in Danger - SBS Documentary

Australia's TV channel SBS ran a documentary last Sunday night (30-03-08) called "Men in Danger". This issue is very close to my heart, having been through 4 years of infertility treatment and 2 years of studying the issues of harmful chemical interference on the human body with my company, the Health Highway. The documentary features the work of Danish researcher Niels Skakkebaek, US researcher Shanna Swan and other including Professor Lou Gilette, Tyrone B Hayes, Ana Soto, Richard Sharpe, Henrik Leffers and Lilla Hass.

The SBS website provides a summary of the show:

A program which looks at some of the factors which may explain why sperm production in males has dropped 50% in 50 years, and explores an important
question currently facing scientists; could chemical molecules in our environment be affecting our ability to reproduce? Aside from the huge drop in the amount of sperm production over the last five decades, scientists have also recorded a dramatic rise in the number of testicular cancers and a disturbing increase in the number of congenital malformations in male reproductive organs - two trends echoed in wildlife studies. This suggests the cause is environmental and not genetic. For Niels Skakkebaek, Danish doctor and researcher, the male reproductive and infertility problems we are currently facing are ‘as important as global warming.' (From France, in English) (Science) M CC WS

A Sydney Morning Herald review summed it up well with "What do you want first, the bad news or the bad news?...chemicals as the main culprits - even those considered safe for humans - and the damage is done before a baby is born. There are also flow-on effects for cancers in men and women."

I will be exploring some of the issues raised in the documentary in future posts, including links to the researcher's work where it is available online. If you can get a copy of this documentary it is well worth a view - a wealth of information on the issue of endocrine disruption affecting human metabolism, immune systems and fertility.

If you would like information on products for use on your skin and around the home which do not contain harmful, toxic or endocrine disrupting chemicals, please contact us at the Health Highway.

Eight ingredients to avoid on your skin

Thanks to Dr Mercola for providing this list:

• Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum – Petroleum products that coat the skin like plastic, clogging pores and creating a build-up of toxins, which in turn accumulate and can lead to dermatologic issues. Slows cellular development, which can cause you to show earlier signs of aging. Suspected cause of cancer. Disruptive of hormonal activity.
• Parabens – Widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic industry (including moisturizers). An estimated 13,200 cosmetic and skin care products contain parabens. Studies implicate their connection with cancer. They have hormone-disrupting qualities – mimicking estrogen – and interfere with the body’s endocrine system.
• Phenol carbolic acid– Found in many lotions and skin creams. Can cause circulatory collapse, paralysis, convulsions, coma and even death from respiratory failure.
• Propylene glycol – Used as a moisturizer in cosmetics and as a carrier in fragrance oils. Shown to cause dermatitis, kidney or liver abnormalities, and may inhibit skin cell growth or cause skin irritation.
• Acrylamide– Found in many hand and face creams. Linked to mammary tumors in lab research.
• Sodium laurel or lauryl sulfate (SLS), also known as sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)– Found in car washes, engine degreasers, garage floor cleaners… and in over 90% of personal care products! SLS breaks down the skin’s moisture barrier, easily penetrates the skin, and allows other chemicals to easily penetrate. Combined with other chemicals, SLS becomes a “nitrosamine”, a potent class of carcinogen. It can also cause hair loss. SLES is sometimes disguised with the labeling “comes from coconut” or “coconut-derived”.
• Toluene – Poison! Danger! Harmful or fatal if swallowed! Harmful if inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Made from petroleum or coal tar, and found in most synthetic fragrances. Chronic exposure linked to anemia, lowered blood cell count, liver or kidney damage, and may affect a developing fetus. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) contains toluene. Other names may include benzoic and benzyl.
• Dioxane– Found in compounds known as PEG, Polysorbates, Laureth, ethoxylated alcohols. Common in a wide range of personal care products. The compounds are usually contaminated with high concentrations of highly volatile 1,4-dioxane, easily absorbed through the skin.

If you would like to know about safe personal care products for your family, please contact us at the Health Highway for more information.

Why be concerned about harmful ingredients?

A study conducted in 1994 by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health resulted in a consumer alert publication on the harmful ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products. This study identified that of the 2,983 chemicals used in cosmetics and personal care products, 884 were found to be toxic. Merriam- Webster's online dictionary described toxic as "containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation". In this study, toxic ingredients were identified as follows:

• 314 identified as causing biological mutation
• 218 can cause reproductive complications
• 778 can cause acute toxicity
• 146 can cause tumours
• 376 can cause skin and eye irritations

Senator Edward Kennedy in a speech to the US Congress in 1997 declared "This is an industry that is under regulated and its products are too often hazardous". I have blogged previously on Senator Kennedy's speeches. The full text of these speeches and a lot more scientific detail on the harmful ingredients in personal care products is available in Professor Dr Samuel Epstein's book "Unreasonable Risk".

If you would like to know more about safe personal care products, please contact us at the Health Highway and we will be glad to help with advice and information about sourcing safe products for your family.

Aspartame experiment and vital information

I have blogged before on our own family's experience with Aspartame and a near misdiagnosis of MS. A post on Dr Mercola's website caught my attention this morning where he reported on an experiment with Aspartame conducted by a Victoria Inness-Brown in the U.S.

Victoria fed 108 rats the equivalent aspartame level for their body weight every day for 2 years and 8 months, to simulate a human's consumption of diet soft drinks. 37% of the female rats who took the aspartame developed tumors, some of massive size. Photos are included on the website.

Dr Mercola goes on to list details about his book, Sweet Deception, which was written with the assistance of 5 physicians over several years, with the threat of a lawsuit hanging over them by the makers of Splenda. Other books and articles are listed such as H.J. Roberts Aspartame Disease - an ignored epidemic and Aspartame Disease - an FDA approved epidemic.

You may or may not be swayed by Victoria's experiment. It was not conducted under scientific conditions, by a scientist or professional. But the other resources he lists have been. I was particularly pleased to see a link to neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock's website describing what to do if you have used aspartame, with tips and directions for detoxing safely. If this issue concerns you, please share this information with others.

Getting to the heart of it

Over one third of Australians who die this year will be due to heart attack or stroke. Heart disease and related circulatory disorders account for one third of the combined total of every other disease known to man (including accidental deaths and other fatalities).

Oral Chelation therapy is relatively new, originating from the US. It is 100% nutritional in application and attacks the cause of circulatory disease rather than treating the symptoms. Here's a testimony from a happy customer:

My father suffered a serious heart attack in 1999 in which a stent was inserted into the artery on the left side of his heart during an angiogram procedure to keep the blood flowing. He was also told there was a 40% blockage on the arteries on the right side of the heart. Although he is the perfect post-heart attack patient, the thought that it might happen again was never far from his mind. We heard about Oral Chelation in 2005 and started my father on it straight away. He recently underwent another Angiogram and was told that the blockages on the right side had disappeared and the artery is now totally clear. Imagine our elation! We are amazed
at the power and simplicity of these products. (C.R., Qld)

I can supply a low cost booklet which explains Oral Chelation in a non-technical way, answering most of your questions about how it works and what is involved. It also includes case histories from Bill Davison's clinic. Be mindful of your heart health and forward this post to anyone you know who might benefit from this information.

Highway to Heart Health (book review)

Dr Ross Walker is a well known advocate of nutritionally based health care in Australia and is one of our leading heart specialists. In Highway to Heart Health Dr Walker addresses vital information that comes from his reading, research and clinical experience. His patients, readers and listeners constantly ask him about the causes and treatments for heart disease and related illness. Many of these inquiries are about nutrition, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and health assessment. Dr Walker addresses these and many other issues in his book and shares medical insights into what you can do to make a real health difference. Put your heart on the Health Highway - contact me for more details. I can supply copies of the book directly to customers.

The importance of nutrition from conception

An Australian study on the Relationship between Low Birth Weight and Disorders of Glucose Regulation has drawn a link between low birth weight and diabetes risk in adulthood, supporting the hypothesis that prenatal care has implications for long term adult health. The results were stronger in women, even after adjustment for other risk factors. The study was population-based with over 11,000 participants. Results have just been published in Diabetes Care (2008;31:159-164).

Low Vitamin B12 in Pregnancy is linked to insulin resistance in offspring and higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, according to the results of an Indian study published in Diabetologia (2008; 51:29-38). This study concludes that we need to pay greater attention to the importance of vitamin B12 in pregnancy.

Fetal growth and epilepsy risk are linked in another recent article in the Am J Epidemiol 2008;167:262-270

I have blogged before about the importance of pregnancy nutrition and the work being done in the UK on Barker's hypothesis linking foetal malnutrition and mortality and morbidity in adulthood.

Over time I hope to build up a picture of the ideal supplementation program for pregnant women to ensure our precious babies have the best start to life and will be keeping an eye out for studies which support these issues. Much has been said over the years about Folate supplementation, but the areas I am interested in gathering further evidence on include:

• mineral supplementation
• EFA's
• multivitamin support
• hormone balancing

I heard a fascinating talk on the weekend by one of Australia's leading Microbiologists, John Ellerman and many of the things he said relate to these issues. More soon!

Extracts from Senator Kennedy speeches

(These extracts from Senator Edward Kennedy's speeches can be found in full in the book by Dr Samuel Epstein, Unreasonable Risk)

In 1988, our colleague, then-Congressman Wyden held landmark hearings looking at the safety of cosmetics. The industry gave his subcommittee a list of 2,983 chemicals used in cosmetics. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health at NIH analyzed those 2,983 chemicals and found that 884 cosmetic ingredients had been reported to the Government as toxic substances. We've known for ten years that a third of cosmetic chemicals are toxic but we've done nothing to strengthen Federal consumer protections-- instead, we'd rather weaken State consumer protections.
Pre-emption of cosmetic regulation is outrageous and shows a callous disregard for the health of American women, especially those who are pregnant. It shows a callous disregard for the likelihood of birth defects in newborn children. Cosmetics are broadly used--far more broadly than most prescription drugs, medical devices, or biologic products. In fact, cosmetics include: baby powder, bubble bath, toothpaste, deodorants, shaving creams, hair tonics, hairsprays, colognes, suntan lotions, mouthwashes, douches, baby shampoo, hand lotion, hair dyes, deodorants, moisturizing cream, as well as many other products
Whether the issue is hair spray, or shampoo, or lipstick, or baby powder, suntan lotion, soap and toothpaste, Americans assume that the products they use are safe.
But this confidence is too often unjustified--because Federal oversight of this $20 billion industry today is extremely limited. The basic Federal law regulating cosmetics has not been updated since 1938. The FDA has less than 30 employees overseeing this huge industry--and only two employees dealing with the critical issues of packaging, labelling, and consumer warnings. The FDA has no authority to require manufacturers to register their plants and products. It cannot require manufacturers to file data on the ingredients in their products. It cannot compel manufacturers to file reports on cosmetic-related injuries. It cannot require that products be tested for safety or that the results of safety testing be made available to the agency. It does not have the right of access to manufacturers' records. It cannot require recall of a product.
In the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act there are 126 pages devoted to the regulation of drugs and devices. 55 pages are devoted to foods regulation. A full 8 pages of the Act is dedicated to definitions. But less than 2 pages are devoted to cosmetic regulation.
In 1938, there was no requirement that industry show safety of drugs, medical devices, food additives, or cosmetics before they were marketed. Today, the public demands higher standards of protection, and they have been established for drugs, for medical devices, and for food additives--but not for cosmetics.
A study by the respected, nonpartisan General Accounting Office reported that more than 125 ingredients available for use in cosmetics are suspected of causing cancer. Twenty cosmetic ingredients may cause adverse effects on the nervous system, including headaches, drowsiness, and convulsions. Twenty cosmetic ingredients are suspected of causing birth defects. The GAO concluded that "cosmetics are being marketed in the United States which may pose a serious hazard to the public."
The cosmetics industry wants the public to believe that no effective regulation is necessary at either the state or federal level. They are masters of the slick ad and expensive public relations campaign. But all the glamorous pictures in the world cannot obscure the basic facts: this is an industry that is under-regulated and too often hazardous. A mother of a beautiful six year old girl in Oakland, California found this out when she used a hair product on her child that resulted in second degree burns on her ears and neck. A 59-year old California women almost died from an allergic reaction to hair dye. A 47 year old woman had her cornea destroyed by a mascara wand. In another tragic case, a woman's hair caught fire as the result of an inflammable hair treatment gel. She lost her hair and was severely scarred.
In fact, for every one million cosmetic products purchased, there are more than 200 visits to the doctor to treat cosmetic-caused illnesses. A 1987 study for the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that in one year alone, cosmetic products resulted in 47,000 emergency room visits. Another study found that between 1985 and 1987, more than 151,000 cosmetic-related injuries occurred.
Let me read a dishonor roll of just a few of the complaints made to the FDA in the last few months.

• Eye problems such as rash, redness, swelling, and inflammation from Alberto Culver's "European Instant Hot Oil Treatment for Color Treated and Permed Hair."
• Clairol's Helene Curtis "Nice and Easy Natural Lite" causing problems such as pain and tissue damage.
• Proctor & Gamble "Cover Girl Make Up Master Sponge Puffs" causing such problems as rash, redness, swelling, sores.
• Maybelline "Great Lash Mascara" : pain and rash.
• Proctor and Gamble "Pantene" shampoo: neck tissue damage
• Personal Care Products "Personal Care Anti-Wrinkle Cream": eye infection
• Neutrogena Corporation "Neutragena Glow Sunless Tanning Spray," hand pain and tissue damage.
  

The list goes on and on.
These severe reactions are only the tip of the iceberg. As the GAO study points out, "Available estimates of cosmetic-related injuries do not accurately reflect the extent to which consumers are exposed to toxic cosmetic products and ingredients. Because symptoms of chronic toxic effects may not occur until months or years after exposure, injury estimates generally account for only acute toxic effects."
These potential dangers come into startling focus when we review the risks associated with just four widely-used products--risks unknown to the average consumer. Alpha-hydroxy acid used in face creams can be a potent contributor to skin cancer. Feminine hygiene products can cause pelvic inflammatory disease leading to infertility in young women. Talc used in baby powder and other products is a carcinogen. And mascara can cause blindness.
Alpha-hydroxy acid is one of the hottest selling cosmetic products on the market. This product is sold to erase fine lines and tighten the skin but has devastating health effects that are unknown to most consumers.The agency has received 100 reports of adverse effects with alpha-hydroxy acid products, ranging from mild irritation and stinging to blistering and burns. More importantly, these products make users more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight -- which can cause skin cancer.
Many woman would be surprised to find that an overwhelmingly majority of feminine hygiene products are regulated as cosmetics. These products have been shown to cause upper reproductive tract infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancies, and infertility with the most profound effect in young woman. But the FDA has done little to protect or warn women against these dangers. And this legislation will prohibit states from taking action as well.
Talc is used in baby powder and other products. In 1992, the National Toxicology Program published a study of the effects of talc inhalation in animals and an epidemiology study on Exposure to Talc and Ovarian Cancer Risk. The researchers reported an elevated risk of ovarian cancer associated with talc use. Workers at Columbia University have reported the detection of talc particles in the ovaries of patients undergoing surgery. The Cancer Prevention Coalition has submitted a citizen's petition to FDA expressing their concern about the possible health risks posed by talc and requested the agency establish regulations to require carcinogen warning labels on cosmetics containing talc as an ingredient.
FDA is reviewing the information and may respond sometime in the future. If a State wanted to warn its consumers about this potential carcinogen, they would be prohibited under S. 830.
The FDA has received numerous reports of corneal ulceration associated with mascara products, some of which caused partial blindness of the infected eye. In addition, many other reports of conjunctivitis caused by contaminated mascara were received. In response, FDA published a notice asking the industry to provide information covering microbial testing methods and standards of performance suitable to assure that cosmetics do not become contaminated with microorganisms during manufacture as well as use. However, FDA's request for information resulted in little response from industry--and FDA has no power to require industry to provide the needed information.
Beauty parlor employees are particularly vulnerable to asthma and other diseases that result from exposure to chemicals in the products they use. In fact, their exposure to the chemicals in cosmetic products results in asthma rates twice as high as a comparison group.
Some states are already taking an active role in protecting consumers. Many more may do so in the future--but not if this bill becomes law. Minnesota has passed a hazardous product labelling bill, requiring a warning on all products that are ignitable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic. You would think that all consumers should be entitled to that kind of information about products they put on their faces, spray on their hair, or wash their bodies with. But the cosmetics industry disagrees.
California requires notification if products contain carcinogens, or reproductive toxins that can cause birth defects. You would think every consumer should be entitled to that information. But the cosmetic industry disagrees.
Let's continue our world tour: Canada requires that manufacturers submit data showing that a product is safe under normal use conditions. Sweden is initiating product registration for cosmetics and Denmark is considering a similar law. Malaysia requires mandatory registration of cosmetics. The list goes on and on, but the point is clear. Not only has our Federal regulation of cosmetics lagged far behind other countries, but this greedy industry now proposes to use its political muscle to ban state regulation as well.
This is unacceptable to the President, to the National Women's Health Network, to the National Governor's Association, the National Council of State Legislators, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers, the Environmental Defense Fund, and to a broad coalition of consumer and health groups as well. When similar attempts to preempt state action were proposed a decade ago, they were even opposed by the Reagan Administration. The only group that supports it is the cosmetics industry--an industry with a consistent record of placing profits ahead of public health. And the Senate should have the courage to stand up to this corporate greed.

Health Systems in crisis

I've blogged before about concerns on the robustness of public health systems and a friend recently brought an interesting article on the state of the NHS system in Britain to my attention. This news article was triggered by a lady receiving breast cancer treatment under the "free" public health system but prepared to sell her house to buy a drug that wasn't available on the free program. It brought to light hundreds of other people facing similar trauma under a health system which isn't working any more.

Our focus and attention on disease and health management need to change.
I normally try to keep my posts fairly light and helpful, but feel very passionately about some of these issues so this post is a little stronger than usual. In recent discussion with a Health Professional, I related my views this way:
If you look at a traditional business risk management model, you identify a likely risk then you put controls in place to manage the risk. Controls can either be identified to manage the incidence of risk occuring, or to manage the likely outcome after the fact, depending on the level of risk identified.
If you look at current workplace wellness, for example, we have post-incident controls such as Workcover and income protection insurance. These controls exist to protect people financially in the event of a serious accident or health incident. Pre-incident controls exist in the form of Occupational Health and Safety, but as yet this legislation and practice does not encompass fundamental risk management of a person's toxic exposure from every day products in their home which can lead to a range of serious illnesses.
Senator Edward Kennedy in the US is a great spokesperson and advocate for this issue, stating that the personal care industry is "too often hazardous and under regulated" US Congress. [ref: 202-224-2633] Sept 5, 1997).
In the 1920's - 1940's, cancer risk was 1 in 80. In the early 2000's, cancer risk is now 1 in 3. This is a massive increase in risk factor and every person should have their personal risk management plan in place. I was shocked when I first came across these figures. Cancer risk in men is now closer to 1 in 2 and still increasing. I suddenly thought of my brother, my dad, my husband, my son, my nephew, my cousin, my cousin-in-law. All of these people are precious to me. How many other men do I love and respect through my work, my church, my social network. So many! Cancer risk is 1 in 2 for every man I know. 1 in 3 for every woman I know. Including myself! Close your eyes and for a moment picture your sisters, mothers, wives, daughters, fathers, husbands, sons, brothers and what these statistics really mean to your life.

Yet our health systems are still designed to provide the risk management controls AFTER the fact. To try and fix things AFTER they go wrong. Ocassionally the cancer statistics cluster. In Australia we have had the ABC cancer cluster, another recent one at RMIT in Melbourne. In my own University, the 3 managers in the direct line of management above me were all diagnosed within 12 months of each other: Leukemia, mouth cancer, multiple myloma.

Do you think its time to consider some prevention? I do. I don't want to depend on a Health System that wasn't designed to manage chronic illness. I believe my generation and those coming after me want a say in their health and their wellness and are switched on to the statistics and the issues. We face a legacy from outdated legislation from the 1930's which has brought about this situation. We face a legacy from the baby boomer generation which was more focused on wealth than health or consequences for our generation.

The Health Highway is a vehicle for prevention. Its a vehicle for a well workforce, healthy happy homes, safer communities. Its a vehicle for the next generation, in the hope that we can reverse these statistics and give life to our children.

Non-toxic solutions for kids

At the Health Highway I promote children's health whenever I can. Two recent topics I've helped people with are head lice and planter's warts.

• head lice - toxicity information at Latest Medical Insanity - Insecticide on your head
• planter's warts

I'd love to help you with safe, non-toxic and affordable solutions for your children. Don't delay. Don't risk their health. Call me now.

Stressed out on the job?

Job stress, caused often by overwork and increasingly by job insecurity, is a major factor in poor employee health. Stress increases absenteeism as well as direct illness and disease in the body. I got this tip today from the Mercola website: 17 Ways to create the perfect work day. Here are the top 5 for me:

1. Do Less. Read a book like Brian Tracy's Eat That Frog and learn how to highlight the top few things that will have greatest impact on your productivity. Learn to recognize the fillers and unimportant tasks that we tend to clutter our day with. Remember that Less is More when its done right!
2. Create a clutter free environment - you will feel better and your colleagues will think you are more productive
3. Focus on the present, really focus on what you are doing now, especially after prioritizing your work as per #1
4. Roll with the punches. Sometimes you are a windshield and sometimes you are a bug. Stand back and get a new perspective. Hitting a windshield (if you're having a "bug" day) can put you on a trajectory to greater things if you use the opportunity right. Read or listen to some of Willie Jolley's inspirational motivations on having the right attitude (I love his bug and winshield story!)
5. Work when its quiet. Try to maximise your productivity at a time when you will have least interruptions.

I also highly recommend the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to keep calm and cope with work stress. If you want more information about the Health Highway Stress Buster program, contact me.

Waiting for the Doctor

Is this happening all over Australia? You make a Doctor's appointment and arrive on time (well, I am usually only a little bit late) to find that you have to wait, and wait, and wait. That is if you can get in at all! If there is any evidence for the average joe of a national health crisis, its represented by the waiting time to see a normal GP. I came across this list of suggestions today from a Gail Solish newsletter - if you are heading off to the Doctor, have a sample bag to keep yourself occupied while you wait. I've modified Gail's list to suit my audience:

• Take a book to read
• Write notes, memos or journal entries (carry a Write It Now (WIN) pad)
• Listen to personal development on your iPod or Shuffle
• Listen to inspirational music
• Meditate
• Start a conversation with the person sitting next to you
• Make a list of what you would like to accomplish in the next 6 months and what might be preventing you from achieving it
• Do a crossword puzzle or sudoko
• Work on knitting, crocheting or needle point

Create your own list and be prepared! Don't spend idle time waiting for the Doctor - life is too short and these activities will take your mind off all the sick people around you. It will also save you from having to read trashy mags with someone else's germs all over them.

The Well Workforce Initiative pays off!

Workplace health programs not only pay off, they improve productivity. A Medscape article by Bob Roehr published in February '08 reports on a 3-year pilot program presented at Prevention Medicine 2008, the annual conference of the American College of Preventive Medicine. The article reports:
"The full cost of poor employee health to a company is like an iceberg, [Ron Loeppke] said. Industry has focused on the most visible part of the equation — medical pharmacy costs — but the larger danger lurks below the waterline: "For every $1 of medical pharmacy costs that the employer pays out, they are paying around $3 for health-related productivity losses."
"Earlier research had found that the top 10 medical claims could be anticipated — cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and so on — "but when we added in the 'presenteeism' and absenteeism costs, it's a different top 10 list." Back and neck pain lead the list, followed by depression, fatigue, chronic pain, sleeping problems, high cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, and anxiety."
Some interesting measures were adopted in the trial, including profit sharing with physicians and employees involved.
The figures that the project translated into were amazing. The total cost estimate was $153 million in lost productivity for a company with gross revenue of $2.1 billion. Using the prevention program to reduce lost productivity by 1% (0.08 days per employee) changed the bottom line by $1.5 million. To achieve the same net effect, they would have to increase gross sales by $6.2 million.
This is immediately relevant information to companies and organizations in Australia and is why I am so passionate about the Health Highway's Well Workforce Initiative. To me, this is the missing link in our health care system where organizations tend to focus only on risk management control mechanisms after the event of major illness, with income protection insurance and Workcover programs.
These figures should get people's attention. Every company wants to improve its bottom line and every employee will benefit from a prevention program.
Can we come up with an equally effective way to grab the attention of Not For Profits?
If you want to know more about the Well Workforce Initiative, contact me.

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink!

I recently quoted health author Laurie Garrett on the infrastructure of public health. Her comment about our tendency to forget "the person who saved [our life] hundreds of times a day by making sure the water coming out of [our] tap [is] disease-free" reminded me of some information a friend recently sent me about Japanese water therapy. I've been trying this therapy for a couple of months now and I highly recommend it. I have noticed an improvement in my skin, hair, level of daytime hunger, regularity and general well being.
You can google it and get lots of articles about diseases that can be cured with this therapy. This is the basic therapy:
1. When you wake up in the morning immediately drink 4 x160ml glasses of water
2. Brush your teeth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes
3. After 45 minutes, eat and drink as normal
4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours
5. If you are unable to drink 4 glasses of water when you begin the therapy, start by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses
In the developed world, we take water so much for granted instead of acknowledging it for the essential life force it is. Here are some interesting facts to consider:

• the body consists of 70% water
• the brain is 90% water
• blood is nearly 90% water and is responsible for carrying out most of the bodily functions
• 75% of people are chronically dehydrated
• in 37% of people, the thirst mechanism is so weak it is usually mistaken for hunger
• lack of water is the #1 trigger for daytime fatigue
• a mere 2% drop in body water results in fuzzy short-term memory
• mild dehydration can slow your metabolism by 3%
• water has to be consumed in the proper manner - taken with or after food can harm your health as it dilutes digestive juices and enzyme activity

Soft little droplets
Which quench mother nature's thirst
making the
world green

(Haiku by
Kristen Armand)

Are you drinking enough? Be aware of the pitfalls of replacing pure water with carbonated drinks which are potentially very dangerous, or caffienated drinks which add to your dehydration.

Drink your way to good health (with water, of course!) - "Cheers!"

Are you getting enough sleep?

The Reader's Digest and Dr Mercola's website are just two of the health information sources you can use to get tips on improving your night's sleep. Did you know that regularly experiencing poor quality of sleep affects your blood sugar, upsets your hormonal systems and can contribute to weight gain, diabetes and depression. Imbalance in your hormonal systems brought on by sleep deprivation can affect simple things like memory and concentration and long term can damage your immune system, heart and metabolism.

Is there a secret to a good night's sleep? Of course! There are a lot of things you can do quite simply with small lifestyle adjustments, most of which are free. Both of the sites mentioned above provide tips on improving your sleep such as reducing the amount of TV watched before bedtime, moving alarm clocks away from the bed and darkening the room adequately.

If you need some stronger therapies to help with sleep, I can recommend a couple of products which will send you into those alpha waves more quickly without the use of drugs. One is Mexican Wild Yam. The other is a room freshener spray which carries certain essential oils to promote sleep. Both are lovely, natural ways to relax and harmonize your body's systems. The hormonal system is especially important as a good progesterone is essential for producing seratonin. Most people suffer estrogen dominance which affects their progesterone levels and inhibits their seratonin production. If you would like to explore these therapies then please contact me. I would love to help. These therapies are also safe for children and babies. Do you remember how it feels to wake totally refreshed and invigorated after a beautiful rest? I am also a strong advocate of Dr Mercola's EFT Technique. This is an exceptionally good way to apply a natural therapy to relax, realign the body and stop the chatter in your head.

Giving you a voice

Public opinion on the quality and viability of the traditional health care systems in developed countries vary and some interesting websites are emerging to utilize new technologies to benefit the future development of public health. Here are some to consider:

• Australia's The National Forum, a not-for-profit company which is a vehicle to promote democratic uses of the Internet in Australia. The National Forum site is a virtual Town Square designed to provide free democratic space on the web for Australian citizens. Health issues are just one of the topics dealt with regularly on this site.
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation brings over 30 years experience to addressing some of the most pressing health and health care problems facing the US, parking debate and building knowledge. I love their catch line: "We expect to make a difference in your lifetime"
• Patient Opinion International – Patient Opinion (Sheffield, United Kingdom)
  Using Web 2.0 technologies, Patient Opinion International has created a kind of "Angie’s List" for health care services in the United Kingdom. Patient Opinion enables patients to share their stories online and rate the care they receive at hospitals. After 18 months and thousands of user postings, the site provides a tool that has empowered patients with a voice that is being heard by hospitals and doctors, who are making changes in services as a result.

With the Health Highway, I hope to raise the profile of complimentary therapies while improving the life of thousands around the world. Are you looking for a change?

A world-changing approach to health

Realize That the Real Battle Is Infrastructure interview with health author Laurie Garrett raises some interesting points.

She says: "Public health has always taken a back seat to medicine. This has been true for a century. And I doubt that will ever change. Individuals always remember the great doctor who saved their life; they have never heard of the person who saved it hundreds of times a day by making sure the water coming out of their tap was disease-free. That's just how it is." Her dream is to see a world-wide approach that shows self-determination and self-sustainability in all matters of health, with one obvious goal post — life expectancy.

Have you ever stopped to consider your own approach to health? What do you take for granted? What priority do you give to ensuring that your future is a long, healthy and happy one?

This article reminded me of an earlier post on the future of public health. It said "the future of medicine is management of chronic disease... The healthcare system... was designed to focus on acute illness and injury, not long term conditions. ...In 2007 typical health care providers do not have the time nor often the expertise to teach patients about disease self management".

At the Health Highway, our focus is to give you a life brimming with long-term health, energy and vitality that will propel you on a path of success and steer you around avoidable social health problems. The health future we have tomorrow depends on the choices we make today. Are you happy with your choices?

Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Laurie Garrett is the best-selling author of "The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance"and "Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health" — both books that examine issues critical to public health's continued success around the world

The value of Protein

Why is Protein so important in our diets? Its purpose is to repair body waste. But did you know it also does these things? Protein

• prevents obesity
• nourishes hair and nails
• helps us walk erect
• aids the blood to clot
• safeguards against low blood pressure and anaemia
• helps produce the enzymes which turn carbohydrates into energy
• stimulates leucocyte activity and antibodies in the blood
• builds up resistance to infection and deficiency diseases
• keeps away wrinkles
• helps preserve a youthful appearance

What body parts are made of protein?

• every cell
• skin, muscles, brain, hair, nails and internal organs
• the base of the bones
• red blood cells
• hormones and enzymes

Do you think its important to ensure you are getting enough protein in your diet? Absolutely! If you are looking for an inexpensive way to boost your protein, brewer's yeast may be an option. It contains twice as much protein as meat and a host of beneficial vitamins and minerals. I hope you've found this tip useful!

Kick Start your energy!

A great program to start boosting your energy level is the Health Highway Kick Start program. This will make a big difference - most people notice improvement within a week or two. You will feel younger and more energetic quickly. It will boost your immune system, fight off allergies and help you deal with stress. Ready to rev your engine?

Keeping a medical journal

I thought this was really good advice, if you're ever in the hands of the "sickness industry"! The importance of keeping a medical journal in any significant medical event, particularly those involving hospitalization, is a brilliant article recently posted by Janet Misserando. This is not only a good sanity saver, it may save your life or that of someone you love by ensuring your care is consistent, independently documented and not reliant on memory if a situation takes a bad turn. Especially good if you travel a lot, or are dealing with multiple Specialists, Drs and Nurses in an extended sickness event.

The Personal Touch

I received an email today from the Life Coaching Institute in their Coaching Inspirations issue 71 where they spoke about the importance of customer relationships. They quote Jay Abraham from Getting All You Can Out of All You've Got:

One of the biggest mistakes, probably the biggest mistake people make in any business is that they fall in love with the wrong things. They fall in love with their product, service or company. You should believe passionately in your product, service or company. But you should fall in love with your clients.

In most of my blog posts I encourage you to contact me offline so that we can work together on your own health management plan. I already love my products, service and company. But the Health Highway is a lonely road if I can't connect with your goals and solve your problems. What can I give, and what service can I render to you today?

Why I don't use product names on the blog

I never mention specific product names on blog posts for a few good reasons. 1: my main intention of the Health Highway is to educate people about their toxic footprint and proven prevention solutions to major health problems facing today's society. People who are interested in the issues can contact me and we can develop a client relationship off-line.
2: My customer relationships are very important and I want to develop an individual health plan that suits you. I'm into "me marketing" not "mass marketing". That requires individual dialog and mutual trust, best done one on one. I prefer to work with you, as you. Will you join me in making a healthier future?
Fast track your success with the Health Highway - we're going places and this will work for you.

Pregnancy nutrition

Carrie Burns' article on Pregnancy & Fibromyalgia brings back memories of a hard road travelled! As a chronic fatigue sufferer I found 4 years of infertility treatment difficult to endure and the pregnancy, while exhilarating, was challenging in many ways. Post-birth, I struggled physically and emotionally and had problems with breastfeeding. My gorgeous son has had health challenges since his birth, the main one being asthma which resulted in numerous emergency trips and hospital stays in his first year. Like me, he is extremely sensitive to various chemicals. The product range I promote through the Health Highway has had a dramatic affect for us, the nutritional supplements keep his asthma at bay and have given me more energy and stamina than I have had in over ten years. The personal care products are safe and unscented. Unfortunately I didn't know about the products while I was pregnant and I believe they would have made a huge difference to my pregnancy and the weeks immediately following his birth.

Nutrition in pregnancy is vitally important. Some interesting research in the UK on Barker's Hypothesis reveals links between foetal malnutrition and mortality and morbidity in adulthood.

I also particularly support the work of Margie Aliprandi's 1000 Moms campaign and would love to help any Mums or Mums-to-be with this important information so they can be well informed of their options. As Margie says,

It's about empowerment. It's about awareness. It's about making a difference.... changing the health of the next generation, being pro-active, becoming educated and making better choices. It's about living fuller, richer lives while offering hope.

If you would like more information (CDs, literature, web links,
research) please contact me directly. I'd love to help you help the next generation.

Its all about education

Dr Samuel Epstein has spent 40 years trying to change government policy and manufacturer production of dangerous ingredients in personal care products which seriously compromise our long term health. During his illustrious career he decided that the only way he was going to make a serious impact on people's health was to turn to educating the public rather than lobbying government and industry. He established the Cancer Prevention Coalition. His basic message is that the best things you can do for your long term health is avoid harmful ingredients in products that you put on your skin and use in your environment. For women, this includes all of your personal care products, deodorants, toothpaste, cleansers, moisturizers and makeup. For men, your shaving creams and lotions, hair care products, deodorant, toothpaste, moisturizers, sports rubs and so on. Start now and reduce the toxic load on your body and your toxic footprint on the planet. You will see and feel the results.

Vote with your feet (or your wallet!)

"I really believe that our biggest power right now is in what we buy. This is way more power than writing emails and picketing". This was a comment posted to Dr Mercola's website in response to an article on contamination of our water supply by prescription drugs (which makes for a very interesting read). On the Health Highway, I can show you how to vote with your feet by

• buying personal care products which will reduce the toxic load on your body instead of adding to it
• starting a nutritional supplement plan (the Kick Start Program) to improve your energy and
• detoxifying your body to eliminate toxins already in your system.

You will be astonished at the results. You will notice a difference within weeks (some people notice a difference in days). Contact me and we can start your health plan today to fast track your success.

But you don't look sick!

I started the Health Highway to keep track of links to articles that I thought were helpful and to share with others who understand my dreams for healthier communities focused on prevention. I truly believe we can get more leverage from combining mainstream and complimentary medical approaches and seriously weighing up what will give us the best results in any given case. Too often, people on both sides (prevention and treatment) dig their heels in and won't look at what the other offers. Lets get beyond that thinking and see what might be possible. Isn't that a win-win approach?

By happenstance I just came across Christine Miserandino who started a blog on Lupus called But You Don't Look Sick which has grown into a wonderful resource used by thousands of people managing chronic disease. She said "I realized that we can use technology to build a community, to learn from each other and support each other." This is my dream too. Having suffered myself from Chronic Fatigue, I love her "spoon" analogy. I certainly could have used that ten years ago! Thankfully I am now well, but I totally support what Christine is doing with her blog. I hope and dream that one day The Health Highway will impact just as many lives for the better. To life, to the ride and to fellow travellers!